Kuala Lumpur: A Vietnamese woman accused of murdering the half-brother of North Korea’s leader will testify in court for the first time next week, when the long-running trial over the Cold War-style hit resumes, her lawyer said Tuesday.
In a brazen killing that shocked the world, Doan Thi Huong from Vietnam and Siti Aisyah from Indonesia are accused of assassinating Kim Jong Nam by smearing VX nerve agent on his face at Kuala Lumpur airport in February 2017.
The women have denied murder, saying they believed they were taking part in a prank and were tricked by North Korean agents. Salim Bashir, one of Huong’s lawyers, said she will testify on Monday when the trial resumes with the defence stage of proceedings after a break of several months.
“Huong is in good health, confident and is ready to take the stand,” he told AFP, adding that the thrust of the defence remained that the women were tricked into carrying out the killing. “Huong had no… intention to commit murder.”
The pair have been on trial for long time since October 2017 but proceedings have been hit by repeated delays, and Aisyah’s defence — which was originally due to start last year — is currently on hold due to a row over witness statements. (AFP)
